China Halts Fireworks Factories

An explosion at a fireworks factory in southern China killed six people and prompted the temporary closure of 170 firecracker producers, a local official said Monday.

The blast Thursday in Hunan province coincided with a decision by neighboring Jiangxi province to shut down its whole fireworks industry after a series of fatal explosions in recent weeks.

The two provinces are the heart of China's fireworks industry, which is a major employer in poor rural areas but suffers frequent deaths.

The explosion in Yongzhou, a city in Hunan, was ignited by sparks when a factory manager used a scythe to cut fuses, said a city government investigator. He said the manager of the Da'an Fireworks Plant was among those killed.

Eleven local officials have been disciplined for letting the factory operate without a license, said the investigator, who gave only his surname, He.

Authorities ordered 170 fireworks factories in the surrounding county to suspend work while officials carry out safety inspections, He said.

Fireworks producers have been stepping up output in preparation for lunar new year festivities, when Chinese set off millions of firecrackers. The holiday starts this year on Feb. 12.

On Thursday, the government of Jiangxi announced that it would shut down its seven-century-old fireworks industry within two years.

Jiangxi has been the scene of some of China's deadliest fireworks accidents, including an explosion Dec. 30 that killed 14 people.